One of the problems with being a middle-aged punker: You miss out on a lot of crucial younger bands because your back hurts too much to go to a basement show and stand on concrete floors for three hours while everyone in the room assumes you're an undercover cop. That’s the case with me and Bolt Swallower. Consider this my formal apology for not catching on to these young rippers sooner.
The quartet is proudly based a short hop outside the city limits in Fairview. On the aptly named Tour Tape ’25, assembled for a recent jaunt with Indiana’s Thlurm, Bolt Swallower comes storming in like a nuclear mushroom cloud and makes a hardcore racket that’s a perfect score for the fallout. Alternating between frenetic chaos and distortion-drenched dirge, these maniacs have clearly taken some cues from the cacophony of Crossed Out, classic U.K. stenchcore and Negative Approach.
Crank this one as loud as your stereo (or phone) goes. It’s worth the tinnitus.
Find the tape on your favorite streaming service and keep an eye on Bolt Swallower’s Instagram for updates. Or, if they have any physical copies left, you can find them at the merch table at Drkmttr on Tuesday when they open for ultra-aggressive Nebraska band Bib.
